Natural Resources Defense Council is hiring an
NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; Washington, D.C.
NRDC’s Environmental Health team is seeking to hire a Regional Lead in the Western United States to lead our regional environmental health advocacy in the following sectors: adaptation, air, water, and toxics. The Regional Lead will be based in our San Francisco or Santa Monica office or remote in California, Colorado, or New Mexico with frequent travel to San Francisco.
The Opportunity:
NRDC is seeking a justice-oriented, collaborative, and empathetic leader to oversee a small team of advocates working in the Western United States on equitable environmental health policies. The Regional Lead is responsible for developing strategies around climate adaptation, air, water, and toxics at the regional, state and city levels. Building on NRDC’s long-standing place-based work around the country, the regional lead will work closely with local communities, environmental justice groups, environmental groups, and other stakeholders in the region. For that reason, preexisting relationships with these stakeholders is essential.
What You’ll Do:
The Western Regional Lead will report to Environmental Health’s Senior Director of Place-Based Advocacy, and will manage a small team of place-based advocates in the Western United States (the "Western Regional Team”). They will primarily be responsible for implementing the goals set forth by three key Environmental Health sectors: Air & Water, Toxics, and Adaptation. The Western Regional Team will also be expected to take on additional strategic campaigns that exist at the intersection of the environment and public health based on the needs of external partners, from environmental justice groups to government officials.
The Regional Lead’s work will roughly be divided in the following manner:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:
Lead and develop regional, state, and city strategies that sit at the intersection of the environment and public health. Specifically, advocate for equitable solutions in the fields of adaptation, air, water, and toxics. This will be undertaken in collaboration with colleagues on other teams who also work in this space, and should be informed by the concerns of the communities most affected by these policies.
Leverage preexisting and new external stakeholder relationships in the Western United States to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization’s work in that region. Support development of new relationships with environmental justice, community, labor, business, and other partners and stakeholders, as well as government decision-makers and key policy staff.
Collaborate closely with counterparts in other parts of the institution to align on institutional priorities within the Western United States. This includes advocating respectfully but firmly within NRDC for the most just and equitable institutional policies.
Support the creation, execution, and measurement of the Western Regional Team’s work plans in support of the regional strategy and advocacy plans in collaboration with other sectors.
Manage Western Regional Team, including professional development, and oversee matrixed team collaboration. Provide regular individual coaching, goal setting, feedback, and development while growing a sense of community and belonging within the team.
Manage a regional budget, including forecasting, tracking, and resource allocation to maximize opportunities and outcomes.
Deliver on grant milestones and requirements in their region and for working with NRDC’s Development team on fundraising.
Work with NRDC’s communications team to serve as key external voice of NRDC on regional environmental health issues.
Perform other duties as assigned by direct manager or as part of the matrix team.
The above list of duties is not a comprehensive list but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.
About You:
The Western Regional Lead will be an empowering and collaborative individual who enables high performance and innovation and champions equity, diversity, and inclusion. The successful candidate will be innovative, strategic, empathetic, emotionally intelligent, equity and justice-minded, flexible, thrive in collaboration, embrace solving complex and nuanced problems, and be recognized within the environmental movement as a strategic leader who creates advocacy impact and communicates effectively to tell compelling stories to diverse audiences. Most importantly, the candidate must demonstrate a genuine alignment with the mission and values.of NRDC and seek to apply your passion and skills to tackle the most important challenges humanity has ever faced.
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a safe, inclusive workplace for people of all backgrounds and walks of life. We strongly encourage individuals from marginalized or underrepresented groups, especially in the field of environmental conservation, to apply. We understand that some candidates may be discouraged by an extensive list of job requirements that they may not fully meet – however, we encourage you to apply regardless. We do not seek a "perfect" candidate, but rather individuals who embody our core values and display the competencies to succeed in the role. If you are passionate about the role, thrive in a culture like ours, and are determined to push boundaries to achieve success, we invite you to apply.
Minimum 7 years’ directly related experience, including at least 2 years successfully managing teams within a matrixed structure toward a common vision and purpose.
Bachelor's degree in sustainability, environmental studies, policy, public administration, or a related field or equivalent work experience; advanced degree or equivalent work experience preferred.
Significant policy advocacy, implementation, and campaign experience in issues involving environmental health, preferably in most or all of the following issue areas: adaptation, air, water, and toxics; with strong understanding and network of relationships within the relevant region.
Experience being part of large, cross-sector, multi-partner initiatives.
Experience successfully managing teams, including managing performance, giving feedback, coaching, and developing employees preferred.
Experience working collaboratively across teams towards shared outcomes.
Experience utilizing and implementing equity frameworks or working with partners and communities to ensure equitable outcomes of policies and programs.
Experience building productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Detail-oriented and committed to quality output.
Experience successfully managing budgets, including prioritizing and reallocating funds to make the best use of limited resources for strategic purposes.
Substantial experience and demonstrated success working with environmental justice and BIPOC-led groups to advance a common goal.
Experience in and deep commitment to incorporating and growing the use of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in strategic goals, work plans, team culture, and operations.
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to connect with a variety of audiences in writing, orally, and through digital means.
Successful development and fundraising experience.
Ability to travel to San Francisco regularly, and other NRDC U.S. based offices, up to 10-15% annually.
NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $131,000 to $150,000.
Our offices are open and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, and we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues. We call this purposeful presence.
As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.
To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.
If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.
For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.
Environmental HealthLeadWestern Regionadvocacyjustice-orientedcollaborativeempatheticclimate adaptationairwatertoxicsregional leadstrategiesenvironmental justicecommunitystakeholdersmatrixed teambudget managementgrant milestonescommunicationequitydiversityinclusionpolicy advocacycampaign experiencecross-sector initiativesrelationship buildingdetail-orienteddevelopmentfundraisingtravel